Weight Loss Tips: Plan Ahead for the Moments that Make You Fat

Exercising willpower is certainly an important technique for losing weight. But according to James Hill, executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado, you can’t rely on it as an inexhaustible resource.

“You only have a certain amount of it, and it’s gone,” Hill tells CNN Health.

The trick is to recognize that willpower is finite, and plan ahead of time how to get through “fattening” moments. If you know you’ll be tempted by all the free treats at a party, for instance, don’t arrive famished — eat a protein bar beforehand to keep yourself from eating too much once you arrive. If you’re worried that you’ll return from a trip to Italy carrying extra weight in cannolis, enlist help from your friends. You don’t have to skip dessert entirely — just make sure you share with your companions.